TAKE II

Fashion scene in Pakistan needs a bit of a rejuvenation since the designers are producing a lot of same ol same ol. Designers need to understand that people are going to wear with what options they are presented with and thus need to reassess what their presentations are consisting of. Innovation, creativity and commerce all need to come together. While some made a splash at this season”s Fashion Pakistan Week 2017, some failed to do so.

Despite its claustrophobic ambiance, Ocean Mall is apparently turning into quite the hot spot for brands to open up their stores. Though I still do not like the mall and won’t visit it without a reason, it has been quite a bit of a stop over every now and then for me as new brands keep cropping up and opening up their stores at the mall.

One of our locally produced brand, Breakout, recently opened its doors to the Karachi market with their first outlet in the city at, no prizes for guessing, Ocean Mall. Produced in Punjab, Breakout outlets are spread all over Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Sarghoda and (surprise) Peshawer. While the store had its soft launch a few days before the official announcement, the spokesperson and designer Madiha said that already the brand was “doing really well and more than expected”. The brand’s franchise was brought into the city by FNZee Ventures.

Focusing on affordable youthful urban streetwear, more like on the lines of Outfitters, the brand offered an array of trendy ensembles and covered a range from men, women, teenagers and kids. However what caught my eye was the kidswear which was so cuteee (excuse the expression) and the shoes. I have, on my list, this certain pair of blue loafers which I spotted in the shop. Also all thanks to Maliha, a fellow blogger, who stopped me from impulsive buying of a pair of mustard colored trousers (they have some good ones for men) 😛 .

However the highlight of the evening was the dance performance by Joshindar Chaggar and her dance Troupe and B-boying performance by Neil and Vernin Uchong. Their performance was done on the same floor as well as the ground floor and the food court of Ocean Mall ( i did not understand the need to do it thrice but seeing that performance there was nothing to complain either) . Event was coordinated by Moiz Kazmi and the PR and Media was managed by Tehmina Khaled and her team at Take II.

While Breakout may have opened up its doors in the city, Karachi is a tough market to compete in since the existing streetwear brands have a strong clientele. From Crossroads to Outfitters to Yellow and Stoneage, Breakout has tough competition that it has to face before it could gain some sort of foothold in the city.

Now when one thinks of an event titled ‘EID BAZAAR’, one image that strikes the mind is the overly crowded space with ladies bumping into each other where the stalls are setup with women and ppl busy selling away their stuff at reasonable prices. At many occasions, while my stint at AMIR ADNAN, I also spotted one of these ‘entrepreneurs’ selling away on racks AMIR ADNAN KURTAS AVAILABLE HERE, causing quite a laugh when we sat down to discuss it. Well this event however was a far cry from the small table and sweaty hordes of people.

Me and a fellow blogger MALIHA RAO, went to check it out. With FM 89 playing fun music, the exhibition space was one of the best ones I have seen of the EID BAZAARS. The cleanly done setup with a controlled crowd, with each of the kiosks with their own theme and setup by the designers themselves. The handpicked designers were fuss free and interacted with the buyers as well as the media pretty well through their kiosks. While for some it was their first outing, for others it was a great response to their business. While the stalls were aligned on the either sides of the hall, the centre was dominated by Sabs set as well as a display of products by each of the participating designers

While the products ranged from apparel, home textiles, menswear and jewellery, a kiosk had also been setup with ngos under one roof. Being the craft and textile sucker that I am, I spotted some pretty neat chikan kari pieces and kantha embroidered pieces (nostalgia from my India trip).With pretty steep prices, it was pretty much a great bargain for people looking for some good local made products. Special mention to bags by Saba Pirani, the Pink Tree and the craft based NGOs. The red carpet and eating area was setup outside from the main exhibit hall providing a breather of sorts.

Wardha Saleem

the quirky spotting

Mohsin Saeed

Tapu Javeri

Kudos to Production [021] and S&S Events for organizing this event for people who want many indie and upcoming brands under one roof so that out of their busy schedule they have what Maliha calls ‘ONE STOP SHOP’. PR was done by Take II PR&Marketing.